US States Should Study the Northeast for EPA Compliance Answers

The report, The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Performance To-Date and the Path Ahead, finds that emissions of CO2 and other pollutants have dropped since RGGI launched , and the program has generated significant economic benefits in participating states. In all there has been a 29 percent decline in CO2 emissions, which has been accompanied by an 8 percent drop in electricity prices across the region. These trends are principally due to increased generation from natural gas, decreased generation from carbon-intensive coal and oil plants, and investments in renewables and energy efficiency. To varying degrees these trends are mirrored across the country, indicating that emissions can be reduced at lower costs than often assumed. "RGGI has demonstrated the effectiveness of a regional, market-based approach to reducing carbon pollution, providing a model, cost-effective...